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J. H. MURCH-. APPARATUS FOR FEEDING, SORTING, AND DISTRIBUTING CAN ENDS.

APPLlCATlON FILED SEPT.Z3 I916- 1,310,837., Patented July 22, 1919.

4 SHEETSSHEET l.

WITNESS.

- ATTORNEY.

J. H. MURCH.

APPARATUS FOR FEEDING, SORTING, AND DISTRIBUTING CAN ENDS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.-23,1910- 1,310,837 Patented July 22, 1919.

4 SHEETSSHEF T 24 II\. k) N 1". m, 0 :1 N

v. mm. In I I; I WITNESS 12 i M 5 v INVENTOR. I fly 1%; W

' Q f [9. 7 Z 1 W g I ATTORNEY,

I. H. MURCH.

APPARATUS FOR FEEDING, SORTING, AND DISTRIBUTING CAN ENDS. APPLICATION FILED SEPTIZB, I9I6.

1,3 10,837, Patented July 22, 1919.

4 SHEETSSHI' ET 4.

WITNESS. v INVENTOR.

TTORNEY.

JOHN H. MURCH, or SAN rRANcITsco," cAniroRNIA, AssIGNoR ro amnion can COMPANY, or s-AN FRANCISCO, c LIFomnA, A coRroRA'rIoN or new JERSEY.

APPARATUS FOR FEEDING, sonrnvegAnn DISTRIBUTING can Enos.

Application filed September 23, 1916. Serial No. 121,799.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN H. MURGH, a

citizen of the United States, residing at the city and in the county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus forFeeding, Sorting, and Distributing Can Ends, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to a machine for feeding and sorting can ends, and more particularly to an organized apparatus in which the can ends are sorted according to the presence or absence thereon of gasket liners, and distributed in counted or measured quantities.

The object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for the described purposein which the various operations of feeding can, ends .from a supply thereof, sorting the same according to the presence or absence of gasket linersthereon, counting the ends so sorted, and-distributing the counted ends in measured quantities, are successively performed by the interworking parts of one organized machine, By so doin ,the amount of hand laborordinarily per ormed upon can ends is greatly reduced, thereby eifectr ing a saving in time and labor.

The apparatus embodying the present invention may be used either separately as such, or in conjunction with other machinery for handling or operating upon can ends. The apparatus is herewith illustrated and will be hereinafter described in its preferred form, but Iwish it understood that the invention is not limited thereto, for the reason that changes in form and construction may be made in the apparatus without in any way affecting the principles of the invention, and I. therefore wish to be under-- stood as clai'min the invention, in the claims hereto appende as broadly as the state of the prior art will permit.- In order to comprehend theinvention reference should be-had to the accompanyingsheets of drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view of Fig. 2 is a plan view, partly in section,

the section being taken upon a plane repreon the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 and viewed'in the direction of the arrows.

thecom plete apparatus. I

Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken on the l ne 4-4 of. Fig. 2Zand viewed in the direction of the arrows. V

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional detail of the end feedmechanism, taken on theline 55 'of Fig.- 2'and viewed in the direction of the arrows.

Fig.- 6 is a transverse detailed section through the sorting mechanism, taken on the line 66 of'Fig. 2 andviewed'in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 7 is a transverse detailed section taken on the line 7- 7 of Fig. 2 and viewed in the direction of the arrows.

Fig- 8 is a transverse detailed section riving'the machlne. A cam 7 is secured Specification of Lettetshatent. I Patented uly 22,1919. I

' through the distributing mechanism, taken 1 to the shaft 4 and is formed with acam groove 8 in which operates a roller 9 carried by a vertically movable yoke 11 straddling the shaft 4. A rod 12 secured to and' extending upwardly from said yoke ispivotally connected at 13 to one end of a. lever 14, which is fulcrumed at 15 in an. upwardly extending bracket 16- mounted upon the table 3. The opposite end of the lever 14 is pivotally connected at 17 to a stem 18 extending-through and arranged for vertical sliding movement within a guideway 19 carried by the bracket 16,-said stem 18 carrying upon its lowerend a plunger head 20'to be hereinafter described;

The drive shaft 4 carries at its inner end a crank arm'21, Fig. 1 of the drawings, u on which is mounted a roller-.22 operating within .'a slot 23 formed in a substantially vertically' disposed lever 24, fulcrumed at its lower end at 25, and connected at its upper end 26, b means of a'link 27, toa horizontally isposed sliding member 29, Figs.

1 and 3 of the drawings. Said slidin member operates withinguideways 30 ormed in the table 3, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5 of the drawings, and, as will be readily understood, is' reciprocated, through the agency of the parts described, by the drive shaft 4. A horizontally disposed feed bar 31 Figs. 2, 3, 5, 6 and 7 of the drawings, operat-. ing within a suitably formed groove 32 in a the table 3, is attached to the slide member 29 by means of a connecting plate 33, Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings. Said feed bar carries upstanding spring pressed dogs 34, operating in slots 35 formed therein, for a purpose to be hereinafter'described.

Secured to the table 3 above the rear end of the feed bar 31 is a magazine adapted to contain a vertically disposed stack of can ends, said magazine comprising an annular lower portion- 36 and spaced vertically disposed rods 37 extending upwardly therefrom, the can ends 38 restingtherewithin, as shown in Figs. -1, 2 and 3 of the drawings. Pivoted upon'one side of the annular lower portion 36 of the magazine is a separator block 40, Figs. 2 and 5, provided with an inwardly extending finger 41 adapted to pass through an aperture 42 in the base of the annular magazine portion 36, and to be inserted between the lowermost can end 38 and the end 38" immediately thereabove, and by so doing to raise said end 38" and the entire stack of ends resting thereupon, to free the same from the lowermost end 38, to permit of the discharge of said lowermost end from the magazine. Said separator block 40, is normally retained in a position to free its inwardly projecting finger 41' from the stack of can ends by means of a spring 43-. A lever 44, Figs. 2,3 and 5 of the drawings, pivotally mounted at 45,

and carrying an adjustable abutment screw 46 adapted to bear against the block 40 is operated' by means of a cam roller 47 whlch follows a cam surface 49 formed on one edge of the sliding plate 33. Thus it will be seen by reference to Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings, that upon the inward movement of the sliding plate 33 the separator block 40 is first actuated to free the lowermost can end 38 from the stack of ends within the magazine, and immediately thereafter the forward end 50 of said plate 33 engages said lowermost-can end 38 and slides the same out of the magazine and into a beneath the previously mentioned head 20, said position being indithe reference letter B in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings,

Above the table 3 and spaced therefrom is a top plate 51, Figs. 1, 3, 4, 7 and 8 of the drawings, said plate 51 being formed on position plunger 1 -.its under side with alongitudinal channel 52 through which the can ends may be moved in' a horizontal positlon, the side walls of said channel 52 being provided with'guide grooves 53 Figs. 7 and 8, to insure the correct positioning of the can ends. The channel 52 is widened at 54,

Figs. 2 and 8 of the drawings, and connects with two discharge passageways 55 and 56, Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the latter leading into discharge chutes 57 and 58 respectively. A transverse discharge channel 59, Figs. 2, -6 and 7 of the draw-' ings, connects with the central portion of the longitudinal channel 52, and extends laterally therefrom, ending in a discharge chute 60.

' The plunger head 20, Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings, carries peripherally disposed downwardly extending guide lugs 61 adapted to embrace the can end 38 positioned therebeneath, to hold said can end in correct position beneath said plunger. Said plunger head 20 also carries contact pins 62, Figs. 3, 4 and 6, extending therethrough and secured to an insulating plate 63 mounted immediately above said plunger head,

said contact pins being adapted for limited. vertlcal movement within said plunger head and said insulating plate, and being normally held at the lower limit of their movement by springs 64. In this position the lower ends 62 of said contact pins62 extend below the lower'surface of the plunger head 20 and are positioned to bear against the flange of the can end38 positioned beneath '70 adapted to be engaged by a swinging latch 71 pivotally mounted at 72 upon the lower guide arm 67, and normally'held by a spring 73 in a position'to engage said collar 70. A spring 74 surrounding the rod 68 acts against the'collar-70 mounted thereon to lift said rod, and the head 69 carried thereby, to raise said head above the level of the table 3 and into the path of the advancing can end 38'.

An electric magnet 75 mounted on the bracket 66 is positioned to attract the latch 71 to withdraw the same from engagement with the collar 70 to release the rod 68. Said magnet is included in an electric circuit,

shown in Fig.4 ofthe drawings, as comprising a wire 76, a battery 77 or other source of electrical energy, a wire 78, the contact pins 62 carried by the plunger head 20, the can end 38 positioned beneath said plunger head, the table 3 and other parts of the frame of the machine, and a-wire 79. Thus when the plunger head 20 is depressed upon the can end 38', at the position B, Figs. 2

.and 3 of the drawings, if no gasket liner be present in the flange of said can end, the contact pins 62 will make electrical conhead 69 and thrown off laterally through,

the discharge channel 59'into the; discharge chute 60,"as indicated at the position Ein Fig. 2. If, however, a gasket liner be pres-' ent upon the flange of the can end 38, the contact pins 62, bearing against said liner, will not establish electrical contact with said can end-and the magnet 75 will not be energized. The head 69 in this case remains, 1

out of the path of the advancing can end,

, said can end thereupon being advanced in I flector head to its-normal position upon the spr ng pressed a straight path through the channel 52, to the position D, Fig. 2, by the successive dogs head 20 is raised after the engagement of the contact pins-62 with the can end 38 to permit the advance of said end. A pin 80, Fig. 4 of the drawings, carried by a lug 80 projecting from the side of the plunger head 20, and positioned in vertical alinement with the deflector head 69, returns said dedqwnward movement of the plunger head .20. Anejector pin-81, Figs. 3 and 6 of the drawings, carried within the plunger head 20 is pressed downwardly by a spring 82, to insure the removal of the can end 38' from the. guide lugs 61 of said plunger head, upon the upward movement thereof.

To prevent the can ends from ,following the feed bar 31 in its returnmovement, a

latch 84, fulcrumed at 85,.Fig. 4 of thedrawings,- is provided. Said latchis raised to permit the forward movement of the can end 38' thereunder by a finger 87 projecting laterally from one of the guide lugs 61 on the plunger head 20, and is permitted there: by to drop behind said canend upon the downward movement of said plunger head- 20, which, it is understood, occurs slightly 50 before the return movement of the feed bar 31. A. spring pressed plunger 88 acting against the latch 84 tends to force the same downward. In llike' manner a latch 90 provided to retainthe can end 38' in the position D, Figs. 2 and 4 of the drawings, and to prevent said can end from followin the feed bar 31 in itsreturn movement. 1% plunger 9-1 depresses said latch 90. j

A horizontally disposed finger 93, Figs. 2 and 7 of the drawings, pivotally mounted at 94 within an aperture 54 inthe'side wall of the channel 52, is adapted jito insert its free end 93 into said channelf 'i52 and to be moved aside by the passing can end 38', as

shown at the position D in Fig. 2 of the drawings. Said finger 93 is carried by a short vertical shaft 94 upon the lower end of which is mounted a lever 95, and aspring 96, acting upon said lever 95, normally retains the finger 93 in position to be en by the passing can ends. A rod 97, connectedrwith the end of the lever 95, actuat/es lever, whose laterally extendingarms 106 34 carried by the reciprocating feed bar 31. It is to be understood that the plunger,

end into one or the other of the discharge channels Y55 and 56, as will be seen from Figs. 2 and 8 of the drawings, only one of the deflector heads 110. and 111 being raised 'at any given time. Therefore, by properly timing the cam 103 with respect to the registering mechanism 99, the deflector heads 110 and 111 are operated to permit'a' pre determined number of can ends to pass into each discharge channel 55 and 56.

The discharge channels 55 and 56 connect a with the discharge chutes 57 and 58 respectively, as shown in Fig. 1. of the drawings. Said chutes 57 and 58 are provided with side flanges 1'13 adapted to throw the can ends into a substantially vertical position I within said chutes, so that said ends are deposited within each chute in the form of a stack, with adjacent faces parallel.

The operation of the machine may be briefly summarized as follows :Assuming that a stack of can ends 38 is contained within the magazine, the lowermost end 38 of said stack resting upon the table '3 and the feed bar 31, as shown in Figs. 2and 3 of the drawings, and-the slide member 29 .to which said feed bar is attached, being in its outer position. The inward movement of said slide member first actuates the separator block 40, by means of the cam surface 49 and the lever 44, to raise the stack of can ends 38 within the magazine, with the exception of the lowermost end 38' of said stack, and by so doing to free said lowermost end 38 from the stack. Further inward movement of said slide member 29 causes the forward upwardly projecting end 50 of the plate 33 to engage the freed lowermost can end 38, and to advance the same out of the 6 magazine, and beneath the plunger head 20;

that is, to advance said can end from the po-v sition A to the position B, Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings;

At this position, the plunger head 20, actuated by the cam 7 Fig. 1 of the drawings, descends upon the can end 38, the guide lugs 61, carried by said plunger head 20,

' serving to correctly center said can end, and

the contact pins-62, Figs. 3, 4 and 6 of the drawings, bearing against theflange of said can end. If a gasket liner'be present upon said flange, the electrical circuit hereinbefore described is not completed, and the deflector head 69, Figs. 2 and 40f the draivings, which has been depressed by the pin 80 carried by the plunger head 20, is retained in its lower position, flush with the ated dog 34 carried thereby has assumed a position behind said can end 38', as shown I in Figs. 2, 3, and 4 of the drawings. The

next inward movementof'the feed bar 31 therefore carries said can end 38, by means a of the engagement therewith of said dog 34:,

from the position B to the position C, Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings, and at the same time the second can end is removed from the magazine and positioned beneath the plunger head 20.

The can end 38 is retained at said posi-- tion C, during the next return stroke of the Yfeed bar 31, by .the latch 84, Fig. 4c of the drawings, and is advanced to the. position D, during the third forward stroke of said feed bar, by the second dog- 34 carried thereby; and at the same time the second can end is advanced from B to G, and a'third can end is removed from the magazine at A, Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings, and positioned beneath the plunger head 20 at B.

The first camend 38, in passing from C to D, engages and moves the finger 93, Fig. 2 of the drawings, therebyactuating the registering devices 98 and 99, Fig. 1, .to advance the same by one digit. Said can end.

is retained in said osition D, during the return stroke of the eed bar 31, by the latch 90, Fig- 4 of the drawings, and is subsequently" advanced by the succeeding forward movement of said feed bar, the deflector heads 110 and 111, Fig. 2 of-the drawings, directing said can end into one of the discharge channels 55 or 56, as the case may be, and from said channel the can end slides by "gravity into one of the chutes 57 or 58, 1 of the drawings. When the desired Letters Patent is 'can end, thereby permitting the deflector head 69 to be raised, by its spring 74, into the path of said can end. The next inward movement of the feed bar 31, therefore, will cause said can end 38 to strike against said deflector head 69, and to be diverted thereby into the discharge channel 59, from which it falls, by gravity, out through the discharge chute 60, as shown at E in Fig.2

of the drawings. Thus the unlined can ends are separated from the lined can ends, and separately discharged; and the lined ends are counted, and deposited in measured quantities in the discharge chutes 57 and 58.

Having thus described my invention, what is claimed and desired to be protected by 1. In an apparatus for the described purpose, means at a rear part of said receiving and conveying means for receiving and conveying a series of can ends, meansfor diverting the unlined from the lined can ends and separately discharging the same, devices at a forward part of said receiving means for counting the lined can ends, and means for distributing said lined can ends in measured quantities.

2. In an apparatus for the described purpose, means for receiving and conveying a series of can ends, means for removing the unlined can ends from said conveying means and discharging the same separately from the lined can ends, devices for'counting the lined can ends, and means for'distributing said .lined can ends in a plurality of measured quantlties.

3. In an apparatus for the described purpose, means for separating lined from unlined can ends, devices for counting the lined can ends, and means associated with said countin devices for distributing said lined can en s in a plurality of measured quantities. 1

4. In a can end sorting, re istering and distributing machine, the com ination of a power mechanism, means for sorting can ends and throwing out can ends which are not lined, means including a can end-actuated element for registering the lined can ends, said registering means being arranged to be operated by the can ends after they have passed the point where, unlined can ends are thrown out, a receptacle for the can ends which have been registered, and means mg means and thence to the registering means and thence to said receptacle.

5: In a can end sorting, registering and distributing machine, the combination of a, power mechanism, means actuated by said power mechanism for sorting can ends at a sorting station and throwmg out can ends end-actuated element for registering the lined can ends, said registering means being arranged, to be operated by the lined can ends after they have passed the sorting station, a receptacle for the can ends which have been registered, and means actuated by said power mechanism for feedingcan ends successively to the sorting means and thence against said can end-actuated element and thence to said receptacle.

'6. In a can-end sortlng, registering and distributing machine, the combinationof a can end. stack holder, a power mechanism,

means actuated by said. power mechanism for sorting can ends and throwing out can ends which are not lined, means including a I distributing machine, the combination of a can end-actuated element for registering the lined can ends, said registering means being -.arrangedto be operated by the can ends after they have passed the point where unlined can ends are thrown out, a receptacle for the can ends which have been registered, and'means for feeding can ends successively to the sorting means and thence to the registering means and thence to said receptacle.

7. In acan endsorting, registering and power mechanism, means actuated by said power mechanism for sorting can ends and throwing out can ends which are not lined, means operated by said power mechanism, through the medium of can ends whichhave not been thrown out, for registering the lined can ends, said registering means being arranged to be operated by the can ends after they have passed the point whereunlined can ends are thrown out, a receptacle, for the can ends which have been registered, and means for feeding can ends successively to the sorting means and thence to the registering means and thence to said receptacle.

8. The combination of sorting means for ,ejecting unlined can ends, a plurality of receptacles for lined can ends, means for directing lined cansto one and then to another of said receptacles, a registering device for each receptacle adapted to count. the can ends delivered thereto, means actuated h each assing 'can. end operatively connectible w th any of said registers, means whereby a predetermined number of actuations of one register sets another register in operative connection with said means actuated by the can ends and correspondingly readjusts said directing means to direct can ends to the receptacle of the last mentioned regisfor feeding can ends successively to the sortter, and means for moving the can ends from the stack holder to said receptacles.

a plurality of receptacles for lined can ends,

means for directing lined cans to one and then to another of said receptacles, a regis-v tering devioe'for each receptacle adapted to which are not lined, means including a can count the can ends delivered thereto, means actuated by each. passing can end opera- .tively connectible with any of said registers,

ingly readjusts said directing means to direct-can ends to the receptacle of the last mentioned register, and means for moving the can ends from the stack holder to said receptacles.

10. The combination of a stack holder, electrical sorting means for ejecting unlined can ends, a plurality of receptacles for lined can ends, means for-directing lined cans to one and then to another of said receptacles, a registering device for each receptacle adapted to count the can ends delivered thereto, means actuated by each passing can end operatively connectible with any of said registers and located beyond the place of sorting, means whereby a predetermined number of actuations of one register sets another register in operative connection with said means actuated by the can ends and correspondingly readjusts said directing means to direct .can ends to the receptacle of the last mentioned register, and means for moving the can ends from the stack holder to said receptacles.

11. .The combination of sorting means'for ejecting unlined jean ends, a pluralit of re* cep-tacles for lined can ends, ad uStabIe.

means for directing lined cans' to one and v then of said receptacles, a termg device for each receptacle r e s--- adapted to countthe can endsflelivered thereto, can

yond the sorting station, predetermined number of end-actuated means operatively connectible' with any of said registers and located bemeans whereby .a actuations one reglster sets another register in operativev connection with said means actuated by the can ends and correspondingly readj'usts said directing means to direct can ends to the remined number of can ends adjusts the defleeting means to one position and then to another position, a can end register for each chute operated with each delivery of a can end thereto, a can end feed device for moving the can ends successively from a source of supply to one or another of said chutes, and means actuated by an electric current established by said electric circuitomaking device for removing unlined can ends before they operate a register.

13. The comblnatlon of a can end centering means movable toward and from a centerlng station, an electric circuit making device movable with said centering means, a plurality of chutes to receive the can ends, deflecting means for directingthe can ends to one and then to another of said chutes,

register-operating means actuated by the can ends whereby the passage of a predetermined number of can ends adjusts the deflecting means to one position and then to,

another position, a can end register for each chute operated with each delivery of a can end thereto, a can end feed device for moving the can ends successively from a source of supply to one or another of said chutes,

ating means actuated by the can ends Where-' by the passage of a predetermined number of can ends adjusts the deflecting means to one position and then to another posltion, a

can end register for each chute operated with each delivery of a can end thereto, a can end feed device for moving the can end successively from the stack holder, to one or another of said chutes, and means actuated by an electric current established by said electric circuit making device for removing 1 unlined can ends before they operate a register.- o

15. The combination of a stack holder, a

can end centering means movable toward and from, a centering station, an electric clrcuit making device movable with said centering means, a can end latch for preventing retrograde movement of the can ends, a plurality of chutes to receive the can ends, deflecting means for directing the can ends to one and then to another of said chutes,

register-operating means actuated by the can ends whereby the passage of. a predetermined number of can ends adjusts the defiecting means to one position and then to another position, a can end register for each chute operated with each delivery of a can end thereto, a can end feed device for moving the can ends successively from the stack holder, to one or another of -said chutes, and

means actuated by an electric current established by said electric circuit making device for removing unlined can ends before they operate a register.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

'JOHN H. MURCH. Witnesses:

N. A. Aoxmz, D. B. RICHARDS. 

